Shovel Knight is only a week away and we're currently playing through the final game for a full review (embargoed until launch day). Currently, I'm about 2-3 hours in, and it seems I'm about halfway through the story. The simplest and best way to describe my time with Shovel Knight is magical. I've long anticipated this game and so far, it has delivered in spades and beyond.

The game begins with an introductory stage before sending you onto the world map. The map is broken up into levels and other locations, varying from a village where you can upgrade your abilities and buy magic attacks to bonus levels that focus on specific skills and contain secrets. The village is fun to explore thanks to the stupendous writing that is charming and funny. I have witnessed people dancing and have even been attacked by a villager after an act of good will. The whole game has this vibe of being this remake of some future-thinking cult classic that I missed out on in the early '90s. The feeling I get from playing Shovel Knight is probably the feeling people got last year who played EarthBound for the first time.

I'm playing on 3DS (our full review will be from Zach Miller who is playing through it on Wii U), and I'm absolutely loving the stereoscopic 3D. The layers of parallax are mind-blowing and beautiful. I rarely play my 3DS with the 3D on, but I've made an exception with Shovel Knight. It just looks that damn beautiful.

The 3DS version also has StreetPass, but I haven't passed anybody yet, obviously. However, the StreetPass stuff seems worth keeping an eye on. You record your character's movements in an effort to collect gems and fell the other Shovel Knight. It's really weird and out there, but it seems to call to mind Link Between Worlds' StreetPass mode but with more granular control.

Shovel Knight comes out on June 26 on Wii U and 3DS for $14.99. In addition to a full-fledged adventure, it also has a New Game+ mode, achievements called Feats, and more modes on the way in future updates.

If the beginning is representative of the full game, anyone who has even the slightest bit of interest in 2D platformers should check Shovel Knight out as soon as you can.